Book1V. THE CHURCH COMPARED To A GARDEN. 683 MET A PH 0 R. VII. A Garden muft have much Coft beftowed upon it, and much Pains taken with ir, or it will foon decay. VJJI. A Garden hath fome Weeds in it, which muft, as they appear, be plucked up, or they will fpoil and hinder the Growth of the precious Flowers and Herbs that grow therein. PARALLEL. VII. So muft the Church of God have much Pains beftowed upon it, itmuft be kept diligently; Prov. iv. 23. As God fpares for no Coft and Pains, fo fhould his Servants be induftrious, or elfe the Church will foon decay. VIII. The Church is not without fame corrupt Members in it, which injure it, like as Thorns and Nettles .do a Garden, which as they are dif– covered, are plucked up, and caft out. And alfo in the Hearts of the belt Chriftians, Weeds are ape to fpring up, from that Root of Bitternefs tha1 naturally is within them, whereby many are troubled and defiled, which if not pulled up, will hinder their Growth in Grace. JX. A choice and fruitful GarJX. The Church of God, though it be as it were den is valued highly by the Owrier but a little Spot, a fmall Remnam, in comparifon thereof; he elteems it above an of the World, i• highly prize'd by J efus Chrifr ; hundred Times fo much fruitlefs he efteems of his own People above all the People Land. One Acre made into a of the Earth. Hence he calleth them his Jnheri– curious Garden, is prized above tance, his Jewels, his peculiar Ones, 1 Pet. ii. 9· many Acres of common barren I gave Egypt for thy Ranfom, lEthiopia andSeba Ground. for thee. Since thou wafl precious in my Sight, thou hafl been honorable, and I have loved thee: '.There– fore will I give Mm for thee, and People for thy Life, Ifa. xliii. 3, 4· Wicked Men are like barren Moumains; they are the King's Wafte, fuch whom he fets but little by. X. A rare and fruitful Garden X. So from the Church of God that was firfr will afford Fruit to plant others; planted in Judea, many blelfed Churches .proceed-· many Gardens upon this account ed in a little Time. lly means of the Fruitful– have, as it were, fprung out of one. nefs of that on.e fpiritual Garden, [even Gardens more were planted in /Jjia, viz. Ephejits, Smyrna, Pergamus, 'l'hyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea, belides many others, which . we read of, &c. R ev.. i. 1 1. .;\" XL A Garden mull: be often · watered, or elle it will foon fade, and the Fruit thereof wither away, and the choice Flowers will hang down their Heads. XI. God's Garden mufl be often watered by the divine Rain, or Dew of Heaven, viz. the Word and Spirit of God : My Dottrim jha/1 drop as the Rain, Deut. xxxii. 1, 2. And without thele Warerings from above, the Fruit of the Church will foon fail; all our Growth and Green" nefs is continued by the means of the Word and Ordinances, Xll. A Garden mull: have the XH. So the Door of the Church mufl be careDoor carefully kept and looked fully kept by fuch as have the Charge of it, viz_ after, Jell: Thieves and other Spoithe Minifters or Paftors thereof, or the Danaer lers fhould get in and ruin it. is great; it behoveth them to rake care who they let in. Chri[l's G'fden fhould be as a Garden inclofed, and Fountain fealed to all Unbelievers. But yet let them be ever fo care– ful, fame Deceivers or Hypocrites will, as in former Times, cn·r? in ; ic was lO when the chief Gardener himfelf was upon the Earth, rhere was a Jud,;s among the twdve Apofrles. , XIll. The chief Owner of a Garden loves to take his Walks in it, to f<e how the Plants and pre– <ious Fruits do Aourifh. Xlli. So the Lord J efus, who is the Owner and only Proprietor of his Church, loves to take his \Valk5 in it: I am come into my Ga;·den, my Sifler, my Spoufe, Cant. v. t. He is faid tO walk in the midfl of the feven Goldm Candle– flicks. Let us get up early to the Vimyards, let us fee whether the Yines jlourijh, wbetf.er lhe tmder Grapes appear, and the Pomegranates bud forth ; there will I giw thee my Loves, Cant. vii. 12. XIV. In a Garden, as it is found by Experience, Worms do much Hurt, efpecially when thev get to the Root of Plants or Flowers. XIV. So in the Church, Sin, which may be compared to a Worm, or hunful Vermin, cloth excenling much Detriment. A Chriftian leem– eth very green, amiable, and fair to the Eye, like fomc
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